Optics system for infrared signal transceivers

• US 6,281,999 B1
• Filed: 07/09/1998
• Issued: 08/28/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alain Roure Creations S.A., IXYS Intl Limited (Littelfuse Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: ZiLOG Incorporated (Littelfuse Incorporated)
• Inventors: Watson, Michael R., Hamilton, T. Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): NEGASH, KINFE MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US09/113,036
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 359/152, 359/143, 359/163, 359/172, 340/825.72
• US Class Current: 398/136
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1143 Bidirectional transmission

Abstract

An Improved Optics System for Infrared Signal Transceivers is disclosed. Transceivers. The preferred system includes an IR transceiver assembly that is easily grasped by assemblers. Furthermore, the primary and secondary lenses associated with the transceiver system are easier to manufacture than current lens designs. Also, the heretofore critical lens separation between the emitter/detector devices and the primary lens is rendered a flexible dimension, dependent only upon the particular appliance in which the system is installed. The present invention permits the stand for emitter/detector devices to be eliminated as a result of exchanging a non-imaging transceiver system with the current imaging transceiver system. Finally, the present invention comprises assembling or otherwise combining emitter/detector devices into a single emitter/detector device stack.

Claims

1. An improved transceiver system for sending and receiving infrared signals, comprising:

a housing further defined by a substantially transparent aperture, said aperture including a primary lens unit inserted into said aperture, and said primary lens unit further defining a primary refractive power to refract said signals by a primary refraction angle;

at least one emitter located within said housing adjacent to said aperture;

at least one detector also located within said housing adjacent to said aperture; and

a secondary lens located adjacent to said aperture, said secondary lens defining a secondary refractive power to refract said signals by a secondary refraction angle, said secondary refraction angle being greater than zero degrees, wherein said secondary lens further comprises a tertiary refractive power to refract said signals by a tertiary refraction angle, said tertiary refraction angle being greater than or less than said secondary refraction angle;

whereby said system defines a total refraction angle of refraction of said signals, said total refraction angle consisting of the primary refraction angle plus the secondary refraction angle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said secondary lens defines a variably adjustable secondary refractive power.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said secondary lens defines a window through which signals pass, and wherein portions of said windows are selectably opaque.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said secondary lens defines a window, defined by at least two window portions, through which said signals pass, and wherein each said window portion may define refractive powers that differ from another said window portion.

10. The improvement of claim 3, further comprising the step of exchanging said emitters and said detectors with an integrated emitter/detector device stack.

5. An improved process for transmitting and receiving infrared signals, comprising:

refracting said signals by a primary refraction angle by passing said signals through a primary refracting means;

refracting said signals by a secondary refraction angle by passing said signals through a secondary refacting means, said two refractings being additively applied to the same transmitted or received signal, wherein said second refracting further comprises a secondary refraction angle of greater than zero degrees, and a tertiary refraction angle of greater than zero degrees.

6. The process of claim 5, wherein said first refracting comprises a primary refraction angle of less than five degrees.

7. The process of claim 5, wherein said first refracting comprises a primary refraction angle of zero degrees.

8. The process of claim 5, wherein said second refracting comprises a variably adjustable secondary refraction angle.

9. In an infrared transceiver assembly comprising at least one emitter and at least one detector, a housing comprising a light-refracting primary lens unit and a non-light-refracting secondary lens whereby all transmitted and received infrared signals pass through both said primary lens unit and said secondary lens, the improvement comprising the steps of:

exchanging said non-light-refracting secondary lens with a light-refracting secondary lens;

exchanging said light-refracting primary lens unit with a non-light-refracting primary lens unit, wherein said secondary light exchanging comprises the use of a secondary lens having variably adjustable light-refracting characteristics.